A ceremony was held at the Anzac Memorial in Sydney to honour 21 lives lost when a Japanese torpedo sank the HMAS Kuttabul at the height of World War II.

Minister for Transport and Veterans David Elliott paid tribute to the 21 men who were killed aboard the vessel when a Japanese submarine fired at it in the early hours of June 1, 1942.

“The star ceremony is significant in honouring the 21 lives lost with stars adorned with the name HMAS Kuttabul and the names of the 19 Australians and two British sailors that paid the ultimate sacrifice,” he said.

Stars with the names of those killed were handed out to attendees at the 80th anniversary of the incident.

HMAS Kuttabul was primarily used as floating accommodation and was moored on the east side of Garden Island before it was sunk by the Japanese torpedo.

Two other Japanese submarines (M-22 and M-27) that entered Sydney’s iconic harbour were either caught up in anti-submarine nets or damaged with depth chargers.

RSL NSW president Ray James said remembering significant moments in Australia’s military history publicly was vital to future generations.

“As the custodians of the Anzac spirit and as a nation we should never forget when the war came to our doorstep during the Second World War,” he said.

Farid Farid
(Australian Associated Press)